Working for Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual & Transgender affirmation within the Anglican Communion.

Wednesday, 13 January 2010

Is the death knell of the Uganda Anti-Homosexuality Bill being sounded?

Gug, the gay Ugandan blogger, celebrated the 9th anniversary of his relationship with his partner on Sunday 10th January and posted a picture of the anniversary cake with a moving account of their first meeting and weeks together:

Today he has blogged about the reports of yesterday’s rambling speech by the President on the first day of the meeting of the NRM (ruling party). Unprompted he brought up the Bahati bill, saying there were foreign policy issues to consider, he had had lots of phone calls, and the government was going to talk to Bahati about the bill:

Gug expresses his thanks to all those concerned citizens of the world who have put pressure on their own governments. It is this pressure above all that will do the trick. When we ask our leaders to speak to the Ugandan President, then we are doing LGBT Ugandans an immeasurable service. Thanks, a lot, says gug. Gay Ugandans cannot speak, even when it is their lives under threat.

There is certainly pressure on the government to back down but gug doesn’t know whether it is yet enough. The President has withdrawn from total commitment to the Bill though not very decisively. For the last three months Buturo, and Ssempa had effectively been defining the foreign policy of Uganda but they are no longer being allowed to do so. The government seemed to be paralyzed in the decision making process and for that, gug is cautiously thankful, waiting and watching with bated breath.

During the statement, the NRM members (including MPs) became rowdy, shouting, talking with each other, mumbling, grumbling. The statement was certainly unpopular. But was it the death knell to the kill the Gay Bill? News reports were mixed though some of the pundits were very, very clear that the death of the Bill was underway.New Vision, the government paper, reported that President Yoweri Museveni cautioned those advocating for the Anti-Homosexuality Bill to “go slow”, saying the matter was a sensitive foreign policy issue. The President said although Ugandans should not allow their values to be compromised, they should equally not move ahead with the issue recklessly.

Museveni said he had been questioned about the bill by several foreign leaders, including the Canadian prime minister, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown and US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton who called him for over 45 minutes over the issue. He told them that the bill was brought up by a private member and he hadn’t had time to discuss it with him.

He said: “It is my judgment that our foreign policy is not managed just by some individuals. We have our values and our stand, historically and socially, but we need to know also that our partners we have been working with have their systems.” Members apparently murmured in disapproval and shouted: “No, no, no!” when he added: “This is a foreign policy issue and we have to discuss it in a manner that does not compromise our principles but also takes care of our foreign policy interest.” The Cabinet had decided, he said, to call Bahati and discuss the bill with him.

The Press has spoken, says gug, and Bahati was on WBS discussing the meeting, still defiant. The matter was not yet settled and he would be talking with the executive and parliament etc.

The one person whose comments need to be attended to when listening to the confusion coming from the Uganda government about the Bahati bill is the President, says gug, and he spoke yesterday with great caution. The Ugandan Government has yet to make up its mind about the Anti-Gay Bill.

Contributors

Rev. Colin CowardDirector of Changing Attitude

Wimbledon-born, post-war baby, Wandsworth-baptised, attended kindergarten Sunday School at 3, confirmed at 12, saw a new light at 16, never stopped since then chiselling away at myself in faith. Part-time archaeologist in my 20s, 3 years an architect in Basingstoke, where I was given my next vocation, to the priesthood. Studied theology in Cambridge where I was tutored by Dr Rowan Williams. Served as curate at St George’s Camberwell for 3 years and was then sent to St Faith’s Wandsworth to build a new church and school and in 14 years, to be further chiselled, out from the closet and into a more adult, open and confident person. I trained as a psychotherapist in a body-centred school, worked part-time as a hospital chaplain in Roehampton, and in 1995, founded Changing Attitude. CA has grown from small beginnings to an international network with groups in Australia, England, Ireland, Kenya, New Zealand, Nigeria and Scotland. Changing Attitude is ambitiously working for the full inclusion of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people in the Church of England and the international Anglican Communion. I live near Devizes, Wiltshire, where I pray and meditate, garden and cook, and play with a steam railway in the garden.

Rev. Christina Beardsley

The Revd Dr Christina (Tina) Beardsley grew up in West Yorkshire and was educated at Sussex University, where she met her husband, Rob; at St John’s College, Cambridge, where she was a research student; and at Westcott House, where she trained for ordination. She has worked for over three decades in pastoral ministry in the Church of England. In 2000 Tina co-founded the Clare Project, a transgender support group in Brighton & Hove: http://www.clareproject.org.uk/

Tina is the author of The Transsexual Person Is My Neighbour: Pastoral Guidelines for Christian Clergy, Pastors And Congregations, published by the Gender Trust:

Born in the east end of London Brenda followed a career in the Home Office. In 1971 she was appointed as Immigration Officer in the first intake of women to the service, and undertook Diplomatic Service postings to Pakistan and Sierra Leone. She took early retirement in 2003 and worked for Changing Attitude as administrator. She came to faith at an early age in a Baptist Church, and remained an evangelical. Her first real contact with the Anglican Communion was as a member of the congregation of Karachi Cathedral. For twenty years she was involved with the Evangelical Fellowship for Lesbian and Gay Christians, and since 1996 with the European Forum of LGBT Christian Groups, serving four terms as Co-President. In 2007 she was appointed to the Advisory Committee of the Lesbian and Gay Religious Archive Network. In 1996 she co-authored `Not for Turning’, about the so-called ex-gay movement in the UK. Brenda had been in happy partnership with Pam for twelve years.